Nail Care

from Label Magazine Autumn 2020

Scent with Love

• UNRAVELED • 3 Nail Care Myths

Your nails are one of the first things someone notices about you. Whilst going to a nail technician is a great way to have them professionally done, there are still ways to enhance them at home. That being said, we need to file through the hype and paint a clearer picture of what is helpful and what may be damaging.

Here are three common myths unraveled:

Cutting cuticles is good for nail health. Your cuticle is the dead skin at the base of the nail plate which should not be confused with the eponychium (the living skin that at the base of the nail plate that covers the matrix area). Cutting the eponychium may lead to hardening and thickening of the skin just like scaring on any part of the body. Removing the cuticle allows the nail to breathe and stay healthy. Soak your nails in warm water for 10 minutes and push back with something soft, or just use a liquid cuticle remover to dissolve the dead skin on top of the nail. No cutting needed.

Enhancements should be soaked off every so often to “give nails a break”. Providing you or your nail technician are using high quality products and applying them correctly, then there is no reason to remove them to “give your nails a break”. Enhancements are particularly important when using artificial nails as removing them can be potentially damaging. The continual use between visits will reduce cracks and other forms of breakdown. If you do decide to take a break and rest your nails it is still important to buff regularly and apply a good cuticle oil to add moisture and help seal the nail.

Never file back-and-forth on a natural nail. Filing in a back and forth motion will not harm your natural nail plate providing the correct file and downward pressure are used. Speak to your nail technician when buying files and be guided by what they use. Be sure to use a file with a grit of 180 or higher and use a light touch with more strokes rather than being too aggressive. Avoid files with a grit under 180 on your natural nail as these will cause damage no matter what filing motion or pressure is used.

Cindy Butler Nails Shop 42, Q Super Centre, Mermaid Waters. Tel: 0414 531 523